News

Pittsburg Mettle struggles in first homestand of season

Bay Area News Group

Posted:
06/24/2014 04:39:18 PM PDT

Updated:
06/26/2014 01:08:30 PM PDT

PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg Mettle baseball team was glad to be home last week after playing its first 12 games of the season on the road. But the tough luck the Mettle had early in the year still followed it to City Park.

Pittsburg went 2-4 in its first six home games, and had a record of 4-13 entering this week. In the June 17 home opener against Sonoma, the Mettle had a two-run lead going into the eighth inning, but the Stompers scored five times in the eighth inning and once in the ninth to earn an 8-4 win.

Player/manager Wayne Franklin was the starting pitcher and gave up just one earned run in seven innings. But relievers Dylan Brammer and Rob Ellis struggled to hold down the Stompers, giving up a combined four hits and five walks over the last two innings.

Sonoma Stompers' Jayce Ray (99) steals second base ahead of Pittsburg Mettle's Chris DeBiasi (2) in the fifth inning of their Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs at City Park in Pittsburg, Calif., on Wednesday, June 18, 2014. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Pittsburg earned its first home win on June 18, beating the Stompers 4-2. The Mettle finished with eight hits, including two each from Mark Leacox and Ricky Claudio. Catcher Ernie Munoz went 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, and entered this week having hit safely in eight of the 10 games he's played.

Starting pitcher Marquis Pettis got the win, his first of the season, as he scattered six hits over seven innings. He threw 121 pitches and allowed two earned runs.

Sonoma won the next three games of the series, but Pittsburg ended its losing skid to the Stompers with an 11-5 win on June 22. Franklin pitched a complete game, and Munoz and Tyler Eppler both hit solo home runs. Aaron Miles went 2 for 5 with a run and two RBIs, and Tim Battle was 2 for 5 with two runs and three RBIs.

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Going into this week, Battle led the Pacific Association with five home runs, and was third with 15 RBIs. Teammate Mike Taylor was tied for fifth in the league with 13 RBIs, and Miles was third in batting average, as he was hitting .354 entering this week.

Pittsburg continued its homestand June 24-26 with three games against the San Rafael Pacifics, after this newspaper went to press, then started a three-game set against the Vallejo Admirals on June 27.